


Unadorned

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Gen contests the sexual viability of stickmen.
Relationships: Saru/Gen Rhys
Kudos: 15





	Unadorned

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

“Do you think I’m ugly?”

Saru’s head snaps sharply up. Normally, he considers himself quite thoughtful, but it requires no thought at all to answer, “Of course not.” 

Even though he didn’t hesitate in the slightest, Gen frowns. He doesn’t look entirely convinced, if Saru’s reading him right—which Saru probably is. It’s true that Gen is quite _alien_ to him, but Saru’s worked hard to not only fit in amongst the more common races in Starfleet, but also to understand them. He can read human expressions reasonably well. Gen looks at him for a moment before diverting down to the Synthesized Mrennenimian salad in the middle of their table. Saru’s only enjoying Fredalia tea at the moment. Even when he isn’t hungry, he finds it best to join his lover in the mess hall, half to bolster their relationship and have to contribute to the crew’s overall moral. He thinks senior officers _should_ mingle and foster that repartee. Although, perhaps they shouldn’t mingle quite as much as he has with this one particular lieutenant, but given how thoroughly attractive he actually finds Gen Rhys, it couldn’t be helped. 

While Gen picks at his lettuce, Saru presses, “Why would you even ask such a question?”

Gen shrugs. It’s not that he looks _depressed_ , or anything of that nature—more that he’s just accepted an unpleasant but inevitable truth. “Tilly and I were joking around, and she drew these quick stick figures, one of which was supposed to be the ‘hot guy’, and I said there’s nothing you can do to make a stickman hot. She asked why not. I tried to explain. They’re just... nothing. They’re completely plain and... simple. Shapeless. So they’re impossible to ascribe attraction to. And then I started thinking... compared to your average Kelpien, _humans_ must look like stick figures.”

Saru tilts his head. He’s familiar with the human concept of ‘stick figures.’ He wouldn’t have thought them sexually attractive either, but he wouldn’t have drawn a correlation to the different skin textures of humans and Kelpiens. Gen is so much _more_ than a stickman. 

But Saru does slowly admit, “It... did take some getting used to, at first... being amongst beings so different from myself. But I have since grown past it.”

Gen grins—a small, cute thing that Saru finds incredibly endearing. Saru adds, “And I assure you, I do _not_ consider you ugly.” Which makes him wonder, “Do you find _me_ visually displeasing?”

Gen shrugs again and says like it’s nothing, “I’m a freak. I’m into different.”

Saru understands enough colloquialisms to know that ‘freak’ isn’t an insult in this context. He nods appreciatively. Saru takes a moment to look around them, calculating who else in the mess hall would be capable of over hearing them and who is disengaged in their own business enough to do so. When he judges the risk minimal enough, he leans across the table and quietly adds, “I am into you as well.”

Gen grins and pecks his nose.


End file.
